**1. Introduction**

There has been a major spike in terms or global human population across the planet. Since global croplands are limited and to feed almost 8 billion people is a boiling issue both developed and developing nations are facing in the present times [1, 2]. Agriculture sector is a backbone for the economies of many farming dependent nations [3, 4]. However, cultivating large-scale crops and higher quantity of crop production requires time, money and energy and most importantly the care. As long as there have been farms, farmers have been battling pests. Pests, weeds and other fungal, bacterial or viral diseases are a natural result of ecological disturbance. Modern pesticides have now been available for over 60 years [5]. In the 1940's when pesticides became available, farmers gained powerful and easy to use weapons for defeating harmful organisms [6]. The new chemicals were so effective that research on ecological methods of pest control was largely abandoned. The next generation of farmers learned very little about nonchemical approaches

to controlling pests. However, over the years mankind has discovered serious drawbacks to chemical pest control. A large number of insects developed resistance to pesticides and cropland weeds learned to tolerate herbicides [7]. Newer more expensive products were required to cope with the resistance and many pest control products contaminated the environment and caused unintended damage to beneficial insects including pollinators, predators and parasitoids, aquatic life, avifauna and wildlife [8–14]. The agricultural communities from different parts of the world were compelled to develop broad-based ecologically sound pest-fighting strategies. From their efforts, a series of practices emerged we now call Integrated Pest Management (IPM).

Integrated pest management is an approach to controlling pests that takes advantage of the broad variety of management practices that are available to farmers [15]. The strategies used in IPM can save both economy and crops of farmers as it offers alternatives to expensive pesticides and herbicides which most of the farmers are not able to buy. Integrated Pest Management is built on four main principles, often known as prevention, avoidance, monitoring and suppression (PAMS) approach [16]. Since it is easier to prevent pests and diseases from developing than to control them after they appear in our farm fields. In IPM, the most important aspect for controlling pests is that the pathways need to be interrupted that enables pests to reach the farm fields as it requires less energy and time. IPM is literally based on the initial pest control strategies which include:


Integrated Pest Management has been Individuals initiating and utilizing the IPM strategies must be educated about each pest and the options that he is choosing for eliminating pests. The strategies initiated in the IPM must be closely monitored as methods differ for each crop and area. As pests have a higher reproducing rate in increasing temperature especially in spring and summer which is also the developing period of most of the crops. Avoiding the reproduction and development of such pests, conventional pesticide application usually synthetic pesticides take less time to eliminate pests from the farm fields. However, with the passage of time, the pests and weeds develop resistant behaviors to most of the chemical pesticides, herbicides and biopesticides as well. The large-scale utilization of chemical pesticides and low stability of biopesticides have cost us both the health of ecosystems and burden of crop losses.

Nanobiotechnology is the modern approach and can be used to overcome the large-scale utilization of synthetic pesticides. The novel nanopesticides and nanofertilizers aims at reducing the pesticide pollution which has innumerable impacts on our ecosystems, life and human health. The advancement in the field nanotechnology and the utilization of nanomaterials in the agriculture will change the course of human history and sustainable development. Nanobiotechnology in agriculture, if planned and utilized in a proper manner will lead to sustainable development (**Figure 1**).

**Figure 1.** *Sustainable agriculture can be achieved by utilizing nanotechnology with quality control.*

In this chapter we give an overview of agriculture and global food security, we also discuss about crop loss and rising global food demand, impact of synthetic pesticides on environment and finally we have comprehensively described the applications of nanobiotechnology/nanotechnology in agriculture especially in pest control.
